Composer Ludger Bruemmer was one of the first of his generation who turned towards digitally produced acoustic-electronic music. He is one of the pioneers of a music genre that is beyond growth and several transformations. Did he know that already when he started? “Artists are always associated with the present. The reception is in the past. This means that art, or what we understand as art, is always art of yesteryear. Artists also live in the present world, so it doesn’t make any sense that they should live fifty years ahead.

In summer 2014 we had one of those rare discussions at the sunny but drafty courtyard of Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung (WZB):1 The talk was chastening and stimulating at the same time. Professor Ariane Berthoin Antal has spent much of her time doing scientific work for artistic intervention in organizations. We talked about her research and people that build connections between business and art. We also talked about how fragile such connections can be and what happens if art is just used to stabilize the already existing organizational environment.

What has inspired Age of Artists in the last month? Exciting, entertaining and controversial findings from the world wide web. Things that attracted our attention in May:

What our most innovative thinkers have in common isn’t what you’d expect. That caption attracted our attention for sure. The article 4 Surprising Habits of Original Thinkers published at the OBSERVER says: “Originals are nonconformists—people who not only have new ideas but take action to champion them,” Mr.

Gerald Hüther is a neurobiologist and author. He studied biology in Leipzig and also received his doctorate there. In 1988, he qualified as a professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Göttingen and received the teaching license of Neurobiology. Professor Hüther has published a variety of books, most recently “Etwas mehr Hirn, bitte” (“A little more brainpower, please”), where he sums up his experience and insights into the topics of purpose, individual constructiveness and the love of joint creativity.

An artistic attitude does not develop overnight. The process takes time and effort. But at the end of this path, completely new possibilities open up. In what way can business benefit from this potential? How can it create an environment in which this process can not only take place, but is also encouraged?

Art professor Ursula Bertram is dedicated to teaching and researching this subject, which is essential for Age of Artists, too: the transfer of artistic thinking and acting to other disciplines: “There is certainly such a thing as an artistic attitude, and there is a scientific attitude, too.

I just came across a nice blog post about raising kids during exponential times by Peter Diamandis. Diamandis, who I have not met yet, is a Greek-American engineer, physician, and entrepreneur known for being the founder of the X Prize Foundation and the co-founder of Singularity University. It is probably fair to say he is more into science and technology than into art.

Painter Rudi Kargus was born in 1952 in Worms, Germany. From 1971 to 1989 he was known to the world as a professional soccer player, among other teams at Hamburger SV. After his active sports career he turned to painting in 1996.

“I am often asked whether there are similarities between football and art. I answer there is none; the only thing in common is the intensity.” Kargus describes the two worlds that strongly influenced him both in their own way.